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A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Pre-Tenure Track Faculty Experience At Comprehensive Universities, Chelsea Waugaman

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The tenure process for faculty at all types of higher education institutions and in all disciplines is oftentimes ambiguous (O’Meara, 2011; O’Meara, Terosky, & Neumann, 2008). This is especially true in the understudied comprehensive university, which has experienced significant individual and system-based change over the last 30 years (Youn & Price, 2009). Faculty have struggled to understand ever-changing tenure expectations, dictated by internal and external pressures upon their institutions (Rice, Sorcinelli, & Austin, 2000; Youn & Price, 2009). The purpose of this research study was to explore what pre-tenure faculty experienced as they navigated the tenure track process at comprehensive …